


Honor before Orders

by SeriftheSkeleton



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27686420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeriftheSkeleton/pseuds/SeriftheSkeleton
Summary: General Palo Raeth was already quite a unique Jedi, being one of the only Harch in the order, but his duty and fatherly nature made his clones appreciate the 400 year old man to a large degree. But when a foreboding order comes to break the harmony between General and Soldier, they must choose who's loyalty they truly cherish.
Collections: Stories of the Purge





	1. Chapter 1

The war was nearing its end, it was a fact both sides knew all too well. The Jedi knew that if key elements of the Separatist Army were either taken or destroyed, a Republic victory would be even closer.

That's what led the Jedi High Council to send the 402nd Legion, led by Jedi General Palo Raeth and Clone Commander Ando to the planet of Ord Mantell to take out a key droid base that allowed the Droid Army to be close to key Republic bases in the system.

They had been planetside for a few weeks now, having set up a base near their objective, but not too close to avoid detection. Master Raeth was in the command center with his Commander, discussing the plan of attack.

"General, are you sure this plan will work? There are a lot of droids in that base, they may even outnumber us… ", Commander Ando asked, unsure.

"Tch tch tch, I trust our troops Commander to be up to the task, the plan will succeed", the Harch Jedi stated, observing his Commander.

"You seem uneasy Ando. Tch tch tch", his mandibles clicked, which was common for the Harch, being spider-like.

"I'm just worried about losing more men sir. I have seen too many of my brothers die during this war…"

"Do not fear Commander Ando, I will be there, tch tch tch, on the battlefield with you and the men. I will do all I can to see minimal casualties in our ranks"

"You always do that sir, cover us and protect us from the end of a clanker's blaster. Why risk your life for expendable clones like us?"

"Tch tch tch, because Commander, I've told you before, that I value your life above victory. You are not tools, you are all individual people with qualities that differentiate you. Tch tch tch, you have great skill, and I gave you the honor of being named after my home world Secundus Ando. Tch tch tch, if I saw you as nothing but a tool, I would not have named you and your men when you arrived", Raeth finished, one of his six arms resting on his Commander's shoulders.

"Thank you sir. I'll get the troops ready for the attack", Ando said, inspired by his General.

"Tch tch tch, and Commander, tell the troops I believe in them. We will be victorious"

"Yessir!"

**-Honor before Orders-**

Master Raeth arrived, followed by Commander Ando, in the hangar bay of the base, where the men were waiting for the briefing.

"Tch tch tch. Alright men, I want a company of men to flank behind enemy lines and take them out from behind, while the rest of us attack the front, behind as much cover as we can. We'll take them in a crossfire and destroy them. Once that's done, we take the base, get as much intel as we can and blow the place. Are we clear?", General Raeth finished, earning many 'yes sir!'s from the men.

"Sir, if I may, I'd like to recommend Harch Company for your flankers", Ando said, looking at his General for approval.

"Tch tch tch, I was about to ask, Commander"

"Harch Company, report in!", Ando shouted, observing as about 100 troopers came forth. He looked at his best men. 6 troopers, 4, Atrax, Tarantula, Redback and Recluse, bearing the face of a Harch, in the purple markings of the legion, and two, Web and Phobia, bearing the mark of a spider.

"Web, Phobia, you're with me. Atrax, Tarantula, Redback, Recluse, you and the rest of the company flank the enemy", Ando then addressed the 100 or so men of the Company.

"Scrap those clankers!"

"Sir yes sir!", the troopers replied in unison, before setting off into position.

"Tch tch tch, are you ready for this Commander?", Raeth asked as the men armed themselves and prepared themselves for battle.

"Always General, let's scrap some tinnies!", Ando said raising his pistols.

"Tch tch tch, indeed…", Raeth said. However, for some reason, he felt darkness rising from below.

**-Honor before Orders-**

The 402nd Legion had pressed a full assault on the droid base, weapons ready as the bombers strafed towards the base on their bombing run. The Separatists sent out squad after squad of B1 and B2 battle droids. Raeth was at the front line with Commander Ando and the men on the 402nd, behind cover and firing relentlessly at the enemy. Raeth was protecting as many clones as he could, using the force to incapacitate or destroy several droid squads as he deflected the laser bolts with his two lightsabers.

"General Raeth, we should execute flank maneuvers!", shouted Ando as he kept firing at the droids, Web running back and forth, patching up wounded men, and Phobia firing his Z-6 Rotary cannon at the enemies.

"Tch tch tch, I agree, tell Harch Company to move in!", Raeth said, peaking cover once again to deflect laser bolts. Commander Ando ducked behind the cover of the shallow ridge, and activated his comlink.

"Harch Company, execute flank maneuvers!"

Seconds later, the droids seemed to split up, as about a third of the droid forces turned around and made their way towards a narrow gorge.

**-Honor before Orders-**

_Moments before the flank maneuver_

"How are we going to flank without getting exposed, that's a lot of clankers, and we need to help the General and the rest of the Legion", a trooper of one of the platoons stated.

"We could use the high ground, we just need to get on top of that cliff", another trooper said.

"I saw a narrow gorge not far, we can always press assault on the droid flank and draw them into the gorge. It would thin them out", suggested Tarantula as he prepared his blaster.

"You know what…that's a good idea", Atrax noted, shouldering a rocket launcher, and looking at a few other troopers of the company that had those.

"So, we draw them into the gorge and blow them up with rockets and laser bolts. Seems easy enough", exclaimed Recluse with excitement as he raised his Z-6 rotary cannon.

"Very well. Platoons 2 and 4 on the cliff. Suppress fire from above while platoons 1 draw them through the gorge. Platoon 3 reinforces platoon 1 when the droids get through", Redback ordered.

"Remember boys. We need to help the General. Thin those clankers out and turn them to scrap metal!", Redback shouted as each platoon got into place to execute the plan.

**-Honor before Orders-**

_Now_

General Raeth noticed the droid forces thinning out, and looked at Ando, nodding. The Commander stood up, dodging a laser bolt and shouted to the men.

"Charge ! Scrap 'em!"

The men charged, blue bolts flying to meet metal infantry as red bolts flew towards the white and purple armor of the clones. Raeth's lightsabers whizzed through the air, deflecting bolts as he used the force as an offensive tool against the droids.

As Raeth deflected and cut down droids, he could hear explosions near a narrow gorge, where droids seemed to be entering.

"Tch tch tch, so that's what they did", Raeth muttered, surprised but impressed.

"They are some of the best men of the Legion after all", Ando noted as he shot two droids in the head, taking them down.

Soon enough, the droid forces were nothing but scrap metal as the company reunited with the rest of the forces.

"Alright, I want Commander Ando and Harch Company's best men to come with me. We'll check out the base. The rest of you stand guard and make sure no Separatist reinforcements arrive", Raeth said as he walked into the base, using the force to open the large blast doors.

"You heard him! Tarantula, Recluse, Redback, Atrax, let's go! Web, take care of the wounded with Phobia", Ando said as he followed Raeth into the base.

They met a few droid squads on the way, but they were easily destroyed. However, during one of those encounters, Atrax was hit in the left shoulder. He would get fixed up by Web later.

Soon enough, they made it into the command center, where they took out the remaining droids, and the tactical droid who was in charge. Tarantula accessed the droid's memory banks whilst Recluse and Redback accessed the data banks of the base.

Commander Ando was accessing the recent communications when he heard his comlink beep. Maybe his men were reporting Separatist reinforcements. Without hesitation, he answered. He did not expect a robed man to appear on his transmitter.

" _The time has come. Execute Order 66_ "


	2. Chapter 2

" _Execute Order 66_ "

Commander Ando's body froze over. He barely heard the automatic response of 'Yes sir' he muttered out before the communication cut.

Order 66. Captain Rex had warned him of this. The whole 'assassination attempt' from ARC trooper Fives had made Ando realize that something sinister was being plotted against the Jedi. Rex had told him everything.

If only he had had time to remove the inhibitor chip inside him.

' _Oh no…_ '

_Good soldiers follow orders._

Commander Ando felt his hand reach for his blaster, it was moving on it's own.

' _No no no no_ …'

_Good soldiers follow orders._

The clone commander tried to hold himself back, struggling. He had a feeling the others were struggling as well. He knew they were against such a thing. Killing Raeth as if his constant efforts to protect them meant nothing. His hand raised, pointing the blaster at Raeth's back.

' _No no no stop. Stop! General, turn around!_ '

_GOOD SOLDIERS FOLLOW ORDERS._

Ando's cries of distress were stuck in his head, yet he cried anyway. Atrax, Tarantula, Recluse and Redback were also raising their weapons, but he could feel the fear coming from them.

' _Stop stop stop stop! STOP !_ '

_GOOD SOLDIERS FOLLOW ORDERS!_

He refused to kill his General, who was constantly risking his life to save as many of his brothers as he could. He held so much respect for his General, he trusted him with his life, just as Raeth trusted his life with him. To kill his General like that, in cold blood, as if their brotherhood during the war no longer meant anything tore him apart.

' _STOP STOP STOP STOP!_ '

_GOOD SOLDIER FOLLOW ORDERS!_

"Shut UP!", Ando hadn't realized he shouted it out loud. Slamming the table, he pressed a button on accident, which closed the blast doors to the base. He threw his pistols to the ground. He was getting weaker by the second.

_GOOD SOLDIERS FOLLOW ORDERS!_

"Ando, what's wrong", Raeth asked, alarmed.

Raeth realized the others in the room were experiencing the same pain as Ando.

"General…run…", Raeth heard Ando mutter quietly.

"Commander, what's wrong. What's going on…"

"Order 66...the call for the Clone troopers to…eliminate their Jedi leaders…", Ando struggled to say.

"General…you have to run…", Redback muttered, "...you aren't safe here…the others will…kill you…on sight…"

"But I can't just leave you here!", Raeth exclaimed. He couldn't leave these men who fought whatever it was that was controlling him just to save his life. They were his men damnit!

"The others…will be here soon…you have to flee!"

_GOOD SOLDIERS FOLLOW ORDERS!_

' _SHUT UP!_ '

Raeth hesitated, then ran off but not before giving one last look to his men he left in the command center.

"I will…tch tch tch…never forget you sacrifice…I hope we meet again one day…", Raeth said, his voice full of pain.

"It's been…an honor…sir…", Recluse muttered as he passed out.

"Until we meet again…General…", Ando said, content just as he passed out. The 3 others soon followed.

**-Honor before Orders-**

Raeth made his way to the hangar bay, avoiding all clones he met on the way. Ando was right. They were looking for him. Whoever executed this order had clearly betrayed the Republic.

He was making his way through the last hall leading to the hangar bays when he felt a sudden ripple through the force, followed by thousands of screams of pain and death. The Jedi were dying Thousands of his fellow Jedi, dead in an instant. Raeth fell to a knee, clutching his head and chest, overwhelmed from the feelings of pain and sadness he was feeling through the force.

His sudden breakdown is what revealed his position as several clones came through the hall he was in. They immediately opened fire, clearly having not resisted the order like Ando and others.

Raeth immediately ignited a lightsaber and deflected the bolts right back into the clones, all but one. The only bolt that passed hit him in the middle left arm, burning his robes and fur, and sending pain through his body. He clenched his arm and ran to the hangar bay.

To his dismay, he found several squads of clones there. He shut the door and slashed the control panel with his lightsaber before defending himself from his once loyal troops.

He ignited his second lightsaber as the volley of blaster fire was getting too much to handle with only on lightsaber, yet despite that, he still couldn't deflect them all.

A laser bolt hit his leg, another his right middle shoulder, another his right back hand, and one last one in his left hip. He was getting overwhelmed.

One blaster bolt a hand which was holding one of his lightsabers, making it fly out of his hands.

Suddenly he noticed Phobia and Web rushing in, weapons at the ready. Raeth knew he wasn't going to survive for much longer.

**-Honor before Orders-**

_GOOD SOLDIERS FOLLOW ORDERS_

That was ringing in Phobia and Web's ears like several explosions around them as they rushed into the hangar bay, weapons at the ready. They would rather die than let their General be killed mercilessly by those who he had protected. They refused to let him be killed without honor.

"FOR THE REPUBLIC, FOR THE JEDI! !", they both shouted as they opened fire on their brothers who hadn't resisted through the pain of the inhibitor chip.

Every one of their brothers mowed down by them sent pain into their hearts. They were killing their brothers, but they would not let their General die today. He didn't deserve to die.

General Raeth, a traitor to the Republic? Bullshit.

_GOOD SOLDIERS FOLLOW ORDERS!_

"General, run !", Phobia shouted, as Raeth, still surprised, rushed into a Separatist Shuttle and flew out of the hangar.

A few seconds later, Phobia and Web fainted from the pain of resisting the chip, surrounded by fallen brothers.

**-Honor before Orders-**

Raeth flew away from the base, groaning in pain from his wounds. He flew out of Ord Mantell's atmosphere, noticing the Republic cruiser above him.

"Oh no…"

The cruisers opened fire as Raeth did his best to dodge and weave through the spread of lasers, like Anakin Skywalker had once did in the cloaked ship he used to defeat Admiral Trench, a fellow Harch who joined the Separatists.

Raeth managed to turn the ship away from the cruisers and punched in coordinates for the nearest neutral system and prepared to jump. However, the shuttle he was in took several hits before it jumped, causing the ship to rock violently, sending Raeth roughly to the floor, knocking him out as the ship jumped.

Raeth had escaped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, you might have read this chapter and thought: "Clones resisting Order 66? That's bullsh#t!"
> 
> And to that I tell you. 
> 
> Captain Rex. Even if for a few seconds.
> 
> Plus I believe the better the clones have a relationship with their general, the easier it is for them to resist it. Not eternally mind you, but at least for a minute or two.
> 
> Anyway, be sure to rate and review!


	3. Chapter 3

Ando awoke, groaning in pain in the medbay of the cruiser known as the _Retribution_ , that he and General Raeth had arrived on.

General Raeth.

He was about to get up when a medic put a hand on his chest, pushing him back to rest. He noticed it was Web.

"Web, where's the General?"

Web didn't respond, but his actions showed he was nervous.

"Web. Where is the General", Ando asked, his voice more firm.

"He…he escaped…", Web muttered, fearing a tongue-lashing. He didn't know Ando had disobeyed Order 66 too. For all he knew. He and Phobia were the only ones.

"Good…", Ando muttered, failing to hide a smile. His smile grew when he saw Web's reactions.

"You…disobeyed as well?"

"Yeah, so did Tarantula, Atrax, Redback and Recluse. I suppose Phobia disobeyed as well?"

"Yeah, he did…what do we do now Commander?", Web asked, clearly worried as to what would happen if their disobedience was found out.

Ando fell silent for a second. If his higher-ups ever heard of what he had done during Order 66, he knew he and his men would be executed for treason.

"We follow orders for now. We act as if we hate the Jedi, blend in with the others. When we find the right time, we leave the Empire", Commander Ando muttered, letting Web go and take care of the other wounded.

**-Honor before Orders-**

Raeth stirred awake, groaning in pain as the wounds he had received ached through his body as he painfully propped himself up.

The Harch Jedi Master looked around, observing the damaged walls of the Separatist shuttle he had used to escape.

He limped over to the control panel, checking to see if it was still operational. He sighed when he noticed the controls were shot. The ship's power had died, so he couldn't perform a planetary bioscan.

Raeth closed his eyes and let the force flow through him. The pain he felt from not only his own wounds, but the fellow Jedi who were or had died. He also felt the life on the planet he was on.

Raeth now knew the planet was full of life, so he wouldn't have to worry about a lack of oxygen. Limping out of the ship, he was met face to face by a large creature that was about to ram him. Quickly, Raeth used the force to calm the beast's mind, its aggressive will slowly fading away.

Raeth exited the safety of the crashed shuttle, observing the scenery around him. A lush jungle was before him, with tall trees with green leaves.

Raeth clicked his tongue before checking the equipment he had with him. A spare medkit from the shuttle and one of his lightsabers, the other one lost on Ord Mantell.

Raeth uncomfortably began making his way into the forest, ready to survive any challenge he would have to face.

Soon enough, the only clue of his presence would be a run-down, scrap heap of a Spearatist shuttle.

**To be continued?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A brief chapter to give the aftermath of the event, and maybe offer a potential opening to me continuing the story. However, for now, and as it will probably be for most of the survivors I write stories of, it's a To be continued!
> 
> I really hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> In case you didn't get it (I'm sure you did, but just in case), the "tch tch tch" is meant to represent the way the Harches click their mandibles together. Most evident example is Admiral Trench, as he's literally the only Harch we've ever seen on screen (I think?). A shame really, despite my hate for spiders, I always found myself intrigued with the Harch.
> 
> Fun fact they can live up to 2 centuries old, and are heavy as f&#$.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and don't hesitate to rate and review!


End file.
